Fifth-wheel.



J. HERBY.

FIFTH WHEEL.-

APPLIGATION FILED DEC. 4, 1908.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

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JOHN HERBY, OF JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK.

FIFTH-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

Application filed December 4, 1908. Serial No. 465,976.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN I-Innnr, a citizen of the United States,residing at J amestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fifth-Wheels,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in vehiclegears and particularly to what is known as the fifthwheel for vehicles,and my invention consists of the parts and constructions andcombinations of parts which I will hereinafter describe and claim.

An essential object of my invention is to provide a fifth-wheel orwagon-gear with an outside band or circle only and a rollerbcaring inconnection therewith which will form a bearing upon which suitable ringtracks will accurately run, even though the gear be bent out of shape,said roller-bearing being so constructed that a relative slidingmovement is provided between the rollers and the ring-tracks which aresupported thereon, to compensate for irregularities in the shape of saidring-tracks.

A further object of my invention is to provide a fifth-wheel forvehicles in which lightness and durability will be combined withcleanliness of construction and wherein friction will be reduced to aminimum and where a substantially accurate rollerbearing will beprovided for the ring-tracks of the fifth-wheel.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification and inwhich similar reference characters indicate like parts in the severalviews :Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved fifth-wheel showing aportion of the upper ring-track broken away. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectionalview of the same on the line XX of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlargedsectional view on the line Y-Y of Fig. 2.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a single outside band or narrowcircular strip 10, of metal pierced at suitable points to receive theradially-disposed pins or spindles 11, said pins or spindles extendinginwardly toward the center of the circular strip for a suitable distanceand having their outer ends upset or riveted or otherwise fixedlysecured to said strip.

Rotatably mounted upon the pins or spindles are the long rollers 13,which form a roller bearing for the two ring-tracks l3 and let, one ofthese tracks resting upon the upper surfaces of the rollers while theother track is designed to be maintained in sliding contact with thebottom surfaces of said rollers.

As shown in Fig. 3, the pins or spindles have reduced outer ends fittingopenings in the outside band and to which openings these ends areriveted, the reduced portion of each of the pins or spindles forming ashoulder 20, at its junction with the main part of the spindle andwhichshoulder abuts squarely against the inner surface of the outside ring orcircular strip.

It will be observed in Fig. 1, that I connect the inner ends of the pinsor spindles in pairs, that is the inner ends of adjacent spindles areconnected, but it is obvious that any desired number of these pins orspindles may have their inner ends connected in groups, therefore I donot limit myself to the connecting together of adjacent pins or spindlesonly as the joinder of any number of pins or spindles in a group iswithin the scope of my invention. However, I desire to state that noinside circle or band is used, but that the means for supporting or connecting the inner ends of the spindles in groups consists ofsubstantially short curved or segmental plates 18, which are soconstructed as to permit the ring tracks to slide partially over theiredges in case said tracks are irregular circles.

As before stated I use an outside band only and arrange the rollers ingroups upon pins or spindles whose inner ends are rigidly fixed tosubstantially short segmental or curved plates, said plates in theaggregate taking the place of an inside circle or circular stripcorresponding to the outside circle or strip and being so' constructedthat the ring tracks when placed in engagement with the upper and lowersurfaces of the rollers will each have a sliding movement on saidrollers to compensate for irregularities in the track rings and topermit of the successful use of track rings which do not represent truecircles. I also prefer to form the pins or spindles with reducedportions at their inner ends so as to form shoulders 20, which abutagainst the inner side of the segmental plates, said reduced inner endspassing through holes made in said plates and said ends being upset orriveted to secure the plates upon the pins. In order that the ringtracks if somewhat irregular and not being true circles may have a freeradial sliding movement upon the rollers, I prefer to make the curved orsegmental plates slightly narrower than the diameter of the rollers,consequently the upper and lower track rings are thus permitted to slideover the top and bottom edges of the curved or segmental plates at theinner ends of the rollers to thereby provide for any irregularity in thering tracks.

By reason of the foregoing construction, I am permitted to make a fifthwheel for a vehicle with an outside band or circular strip only, inconnection with rollers connected together in groups by means ofindependent curved or segmental plates, and wherein these short insideplates permit the ring tracks to slide partially over them in case thereare irregular curves in said tracks and which irregularities could notbe compensated for when using an inside band similar to the outsideband, unless the roller bearing was made so wide'that it would bepractically useless for the ordinary vehicle.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In a fifth-wheel, the combination of anoutside circular band or strip, a series of pins or spindles fixedthereto and projecting radially from the inner side thereof, supportingmeans for the inner ends of said pins, rollers loosely mounted on thepins, and ring-tracks with which the rollers engage, said rollers havinga diameter in excess of the width of said inner supporting means wherebythe ring-tracks may be moved radially over the rollers and past thevertical plane ofsaid supporting means in response to irregularities inthe ring tracks.

2. In a fifth wheel, the combination of an outside band or circularstrip, a series of pins or spindles fixed thereto and projectingradially from the inner side thereof, independent segmental plates onthe inner ends of the pins or spindles and each connecting the pins orspindles in groups, and rollers loosely mounted on the pins or spindlessaid rollers having a greater diameter than the width of the segmentalplates, whereby the ring tracks move radially over the rollers and edgesof the plates in response to irregularities in the ring tracks.

3. In a fifth wheel, the combination of an outside band or circularstrip, pins or spindles fixed thereto and projecting radially from theinner side thereof, said pins or spindles having their outer endsreduced to form shoulders which abut against the inner surface of theoutside band and said reduced portions of the pins being passed throughsaid band and fixed thereto, rollers loosely mounted on the pins,ring-tracks rotatably mount-ed on said rollers, and independentsegmental plates connecting the inner ends of the pins or spindles ingroups, said pins or spindles having their inner ends reduced to passthrough the plates and to be fixed therein and to form shoulders whichabut against the inner side of said plates and said plates having awidth less than the diameter of the rollers to permit the ring tracks toslide radially to compensate for irregularities therein.

a. An improved fifth-wheel comprising an annular series of rollers,means for supporting the inner and outer ends of said rollers, andhubless, substantially narrow, annular track-rings adapted to operateover the rollers, said inner roller supporting means having a width lessthan the diameter of the rollers whereby the ringtracks may move overthe edges of said inner supportingmeans to compensate for irregularitiesin said ring-tracks.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN HERBY.

Witnesses JOHN G. OBRIEN, W. H. TYLER.

